It was the principality of Monaco which announced the death of former Minister of Agriculture Didier Guillaume at the age of 65 “following a devastating illness”, this Friday, January 17, 2025. He had been appointed Minister of Agriculture. State responsible for leading the government of the principality last September. In October 2018, Emmanuel Macron chose him to replace Stéphane Travert during a ministerial reshuffle.
An elected representative from the field
Born in 1959, Didier Guillaume began his political career in Drôme where he was first departmental secretary of the Socialist Party from 1986 to 1997. He then rose through the ranks one by one: mayor of Bourg-de-Péage, president of the General Council . He was political advisor to Jean Glavany at the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (1998-2002), under Lionel Jospin.
Elected senator from Drôme in 2008, Didier Guillaume chaired the socialist group in the upper house from 2014 to 2018. He then became a pillar of the Hollande five-year majority. He will be particularly indignant against the idea of a primary for an outgoing president.
A government portfolio under Emmanuel Macron
On October 16, 2018, during the transfer of power with Stéphane Travert, Didier Guillaume declared himself “for [une] sustainable agriculture, farmers who make a decent living from their profession, French people who eat quality food at a fair price, I am at work today.”
A few days later, on France Inter, he introduced himself as “the defender, the promoter of farmers. I want to ensure that in the years to come, this government can say that agriculture has a future and that the profession of farmer is still a profession with a future. »
-“I want to be under the authority of the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister, the Minister of Transitions: economic transition, farmers must earn a better living, environmental transition, it is absolutely necessary that better practices, the end of phytosanitary products arrive quite quickly. » This is the time when the government defends moving upmarket as a tool for improving farmers' income.
A government plan for animal welfare
In 2019, under pressure from MPs, he carried out work on animal welfare with the sectors concerned. After receiving the welfarist associations, he promised “strong measures” on this subject on October 30. We will have to wait a few months, since it is on January 20, 2020 that he will present the government plan for the protection and improvement of animal welfare.
on this occasion, Didier Guillaume announced in particular the end of the crushing of male chicks in the laying hen sectors in France and Germany. A decree will give hatcheries until the end of 2022 to adapt. Didier Guillaume also promises the end of live castration of piglets by the end of 2021.
